Advice from a PhD turned uni hiring manager: Applying for jobs after a PhD

Applying for jobs can be a difficult and time-consuming task. It can involve many setbacks, so it takes effort to maintain your resilience in the face of such challenges.

To help make this process easier for those of you looking for work after a PhD, here are my answers to some of the most frequent questions people have asked me about applying for jobs.

I’ve found the perfect job! What should I know before applying?

I’ve reviewed hundreds of job applications for third-space roles in my current job. I can tell you that the most important thing when writing your application is this: the purpose of your application is to get you an interview.

This means you must show how you fulfil the “essential” criteria for the job. As a hiring manager, I’m required to “mark” candidates against a role’s person specification. If an experience is marked as essential, I can only progress your application if you meet it. So don’t bother applying if you know you can’t meet the essential criteria. Your application will be rejected!

What about transferable experience?

Good question! Needing to meet the essential criteria for a role doesn’t rule out transferable experience. For example, if you’ve run seminars or lab demonstrations, you have teaching experience. This can be applied (transferred) to other contexts, such as running training workshops or demonstrating your verbal communication skills.

Don’t rule yourself out from applying based on what you assume is being asked for, either. Job descriptions often ask for “X or equivalent”, such as “a teaching qualification or equivalent”. As noted above, you can use the experience you do have to show the equivalency the employer wants.

To do so, you need to show how your experience connects to the criteria. Make sure the hiring manager will understand your experience and why it’s relevant for their specific job. You can also argue your experience may enhance your ability to meet the criteria. For example, you may be able to provide a new or different perspective to other applicants.

The important thing is being able to deliver what the employer needs.

What about desirable criteria?

“Desirable” criteria are different. These are only used to support shortlisting if there’s a strong field of candidates. In that situation, the desirable criteria help the hiring manager to prioritise which candidates to interview. It’s important therefore to try and meet desirable criteria if you can. However, you don’t have to meet them to apply or secure an interview.

How do I show that I meet the criteria?

You must offer specific and tangible evidence. When you’re telling a hiring manager what you’ve done (connected to the job description, don’t just say you “support students in seminars”. That’s fine as a starting point, but you also need to explain the what and the how. If you helped your students write more fluently, say so. But also say how.

It can be tempting to try and tell prospective employers everything about yourself. It’s important not to go overboard with details or include things that haven’t been requested. Remember: when you’re writing your application you’re just trying to get an interview. The focus at first is getting that interview. You can supply more information at the next stage.

How can I help the hiring manager see what’s relevant?

Be explicit about the skills you are claiming you have. Clearly state or label which experience you’re using to meet which parts of the person specification. Remember that a hiring manager can only reward you for fulfilling each criterion once. So, make sure the areas where you’re strongest don’t obscure how you meet other criteria.

Also, only include relevant information about each criterion. For instance, even if the specific details of your thesis are not relevant to the role, the evidence of research skills might be. In that case, you should state which transferrable skills you’ve developed (and are relevant), but leave out the details.

Vitae’s Researcher Development Framework can help you map out your skills. It’s also helpful if you take the job description and use headings from it to organise your application.

When should I avoid making compromises to take a job? 

You need to think about wider practicalities when applying for jobs. Going for an interview is a nerve-wracking but also exciting time. You’re trying to impress; you want the job after all. But try to avoid wearing rose-tinted glasses. 

Do you really want this job? If you’re doubting this, scrutinise the job description. Use it to try to visualise yourself in the position and what you will be doing on a day-to-day basis. If the job description mentions “manipulating data” or “working at heights while juggling”—are these tasks you’d enjoy doing? Seriously?

You also need to consider other factors. Jobs that come up hundreds of miles away clearly require considerable thought, given you’d have to uproot your life. Yet the same can be said for nearby jobs.

A one-hour commute can seem straightforward (even fun!) on an interview day in the middle of summer. But remember that a one-hour commute is a two-hour round trip. Try to imagine doing it several times a week on dark winter nights, in the rain, and with train delays. The novelty can soon wear off…

Can I ask for clarification before applying?

If there are requirements that don’t seem quite clear, contact the hiring manager for clarification about what they mean. Job descriptions are written for specific roles, but they’re also written in keeping with “job grading”, so their phrasing can sometimes seem a bit opaque to those on the outside. 

A hiring manager should be happy to clarify any queries you have. They invest a lot of time and energy into hiring the right people, so they want candidates who will be happy in their roles. It’s quicker for them to have a conversation about your suitability for the role than to read an inappropriate job application! 

Is there anything else I should be aware of?

That’s it. When it comes to applying for jobs, make sure you meet the criteria and provide clear evidence to support this. If you do so, you’ll find yourself getting invited to interviews. However, there’s little point getting invited to interviews for jobs you don’t want, or won’t fit into your life.

If you have any questions about specific roles you’re thinking of applying for, or if you would like feedback on your application documents, talk to your Careers Service!

Otherwise, best of luck with your job search. You’ve got this!

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